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thalkons-garden · 1 year

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Tansy Plant

Scientific Name: Tanacetum vulgare

Plant Family: Asteraceae or Aster family

Common Name: Common Tansy, Bitter Buttons, Cow Bitter, Golden Buttons

Origin: Europe and Asia (brought to the states as a medicinal/ornamental plant, it has an invasive attitude and can choke out local plant life, grow with caution)

Description:

- Height: Can grow 2 - 5 ft in height, 12 - 18 in. wide.

- Fruit: 5 brownish angled achenes in the fall (one plant is capable of producing 50,000 seeds per year). The seeds tend to drop around the plant but can become airborne as well.

- Flowers: Golden yellow button-like blooms that appear in clusters of 20-200 flowerheads. Flowers measure from 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide. Similar to tiny disc flowers of a daisy but have no flower petals. Flower clusters can measure up to 4 inches wide and typically bloom from July to September. The flowers can be considered “showy” for gardners. (Flower Inflorescence: Corymb) Scent is similar to camphor with hints of rosemary.

- Leaves: Leaves are green and have a camphor-like odor when crushed. They are arranged alternately. There are basal and cauline leaves. The leaf blades are oblong or elliptic in shape and pinnately lobed. The leaf is deeply divided into narrow segments. The margins are dentate, and the surface is glabrous to sparsely hairy. The leaves measure from 2-6 inches, and up to 12 inches long, and 4 inches wide.

- Stem: The stem is erect, branched (3 - 6 stems), and glabrous to sparsely hairy. Coloring can vary from brown to reddish-brow or purplish-red at the base. Branches out near the top.

- Roots: rhizomatous root system

Growing Conditions: Prefers moist, humus-rich soil, it can grow in a wide range of soils, including dry, poor, and disturbed soils. They thrive in areas that get at least 6 hours of sunlight. Once established it is fairly drought tolerant. If growing from seed it is suggested to plant in the fall in well worked soil. This plant can form a dense cover which can choke out native vegetation (one plant can produce more than 2,000 seeds).

Removing the plant: Individual or small patches of the plant can easily be removed with the help of a shovel. The roots tend to be grow deep, and all roots must be removed in order for the plant to be properly removed. It is advised to wear gloves when removing Tansy, as the leaves can cause contact dermatitis.

Broad-spectrum herbicide should only be used if the infestation is so large it cannot be managed by manual removal. Mowing an infestation can be an effective way of weakening the plants before applying herbicide to the regrowth. It also requires less herbicide than when treating full-sized plants.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This plant has no serious pest or disease problems. Spider mites can be a problem in some areas. The Tansy Beetle (Chrysolina graminis) has resistance to the toxins and subsist almost exclusively on this plant.

Plant History:

- First historical records of cultivation for medicinal purposes involved the ancient Greeks.

- In 8th century AD Tansy was grown in the herb gardens of Charlemagne and by Benedictine monks of the Swiss monastery of Saint Gall.

- Historically used to treat intestinal worms, rheumatism, digestive problems, fevers, sores, ulcers, constipation, hysteria, jaundice, gastrointestinal problems, and to bring out measles.

- In the Middle Ages and later, high doses were used to induce abortions, but on the other hand was used to help women conceive and to prevent miscarriages.

- 15th century Christians began serving tansy with Lenten meals to commemorate the Passover bitter herbs eaten by the Israelites (Tansy was thought ot have the added benefits of controlling flatulence and preventing the intestinal worms that was believed to be caused by eating fish during Lent).

- In the 19th century, Tansy was used as a face wash and was reported to lighten and purify the skin. Irish folklore suggested that bathing in a solution of Tansy and salts would cure joint pain.

- Corpses were wrapped in Tansy to prevent rapid decay (the first president of Harvard Univeristy, Henry Dunster, was buried wearing a tansy wreath in a coffin packed with tansy; when the cemetery was moved in 1846 the tansy had maintained its shape and fragrance, helping to identify the president’s remains).

- During the American colonial period, the leaves were used to repel flies, ants and fleas around meats and to delay spoilage.

- In the 1940′s distilled tansy oil mixed with fleabane, pennyroyal and diluted alcohol was a well-known mosquito repellent (current studies have found that Tansy DOES repel mosquitoes, but it isn’t nearly as effective as products containing DEET).

Quick Facts:

- Considered one of the worst invasive plants in North America

- Prohibited seed selling in Montana and Wyoming

- Prohibited selling or growing of plant in Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Wyoming, parts of Washington state, the the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia

- The genus name, Tanacetum, is derived from the Green word, “Athanasia”, which means “immortal”. The species name, vulgare, is Latin and means “common”.

- To slow the Tansy takeover, it is suggested to deadhead the blooms as they fade to reduce the number of runaway seeds in your garden.

- Has a rhizome type root system, which can be hard to be rid of once established.

- Sheep can possibly get “high” off this plant. (source)

Companion Planting: Can be planted with all types of vegetables, the Tansy plant will chase off pests while adding potassium to the soil for other plants to benefit from. It is planted alongside potatoes to repel the Colorado potato beetle. Plant Benefits: Adds potassium to soil, while repelling several insect species. Reseeds itself easily. Attracts honeybees and ladybugs (the ladybugs have a high chance of laying their eggs on this plant).

Plant Not Benefits: Can attract “pest” bugs such as Bracanoid Wasps (source) and Pirate bugs. Tansy leaves contain an oil known as “thujone” which can cause skin irritation or contact dermatitis. Thujone in excess amounts be toxic to horses, cows, and humans, although sheep and goats can tolerate the plant and have been used to control the weed. (source) Thujone can also cause convulsions along with liver and brain damage when consumed in large amounts. (source)

Uses: Flavor stews, salads, omelets and more. Useful as a natural textile dye. Can be used in everlasting bouquets, as the heads retain both color and shape. Made into insecticide via the essential oil in the leaves (source) Can be placed on window sill to repel flies; sprigs placed in bed linen to drive away pests, and can be used as an ant repellent.

Similar Looking Plants: Tansy Ragwort - the flowers are similar, except Tansy Ragwort looks closer to a daisy. The flowers have 13 ray petals and yellow centers (this plant is also considered a noxious invasive weed).

Alternatives to this plant: Yarrow, Goldenrod, or Golden Alexander all have bright yellow flowers that bloom in the summer.

Sources: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/tansy/growing-tansy-herbs.htm

https://www.growveg.com/guides/why-you-should-and-shouldnt-grow-tansy/

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/tanacetum-vulgare/

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thalkons-garden · 1 year

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Introduction/Table of Contents

Welcome to my garden!

I will be placing plant information here as I learn it. The plants this blog will be focusing on will be ones that I am currently interested in, am planting, or have identified on my own. Each post will contain the plant name, scientific name (if I was able to figure it out which plant I have), how to plant it, care for it, harvest it, save seeds from it, and if it companion plants with other plants (with links hopefully). If you’re interested in Herbs and how to heal with them, you can check out my blog @herbalist-thalkon where I will be updating my research into healing with plants. There will most likely be cross posts, but the posts on this side will deal with more growing and maintaining the plant, whereas the posts on my other blog will have more information on recipes, healing properties, and anything else that I felt was needed to be added to the posts. So, without further ado, the table of contents.

Table of Contents

Pincushion Peperomia

Lace Aloe

Eve’s Pin Cactus

Hobbit Jade Plant

Pennyroyal

German Chamomile

Calendula

Wormwood

Statice

Tansy

Rover Bellflower

Norway Maple

Yellow Sheep-Sorrel

American Burnweed

English Ivy

Munson’s Grape

Sweet Rocket

Pigeonberry

Shepherd’s Purse

Taraxacum Campylodes?

Bird’s Rape

Hairy Crabgrass

Jesusplant

Motherwort

Slender Yellow Woodsorrel

Sun Spurge

Prostrate Knotweed

Jagged Chickweeds

Rhubarb?

Fat-Hen?

Epipactis Helleborine?

Hoary Bowlesia?

Borage?

Bishop’s Weed?

Stiff Hedgenettle?

Hedge Woundwort, Whitespot?

Vitis Vulpina (Frost Grape)

Canadian Goldenrod

Garlic Chive

Peach Tree

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